Bowling ball and pin handling apparatus



G. A. MONTOOTH ET AL BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 4, 1946 Oct. 28, 1952 9.4mm v 4.71, ATTOIQ/VEY Patented Oct. 28, 1952 BOWLING BALL AND PIN HANDLING APPARATUS George A. Montooth and Albert M. Bowen, Long Beach, Calif., assignors to The Brunswick- BaLlke-Collender Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationMay 4, 1946, SerialNo. 667,410

3 Claims. I

This invention relates to an automatic pin setting mechanism for bowling alleys and deals more particularly with the pit thereof and the mechanism therein for removing bowlingpins for subsequent replacement on the alley. The present invention is an improvement on the mechanism disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 657,238, filed March 26, 1-946, and entitled Machine for Setting Pins on Bowling Alleys.

The general efficacy of automatic pin setting alleys such as disclosed in the mentioned application depends, to a large degree, on the rapid and sure transportation of pins to the mechanism which effects the replacement of said pins on the alley and also upon effecting a proper separation in the handling of the bowling ball for return to the bowler. Improper and slow functioning of such mechanisms will entail delay in expediting the speed of the game.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide means of the type indicated which are efficient, simple and effective for the purpose. I

Another object of the invention is to provide pin handling mechanism in the pit of a bowling alley which handles the pins in such a 'manner as to obviate their jamming and to insure theirpositioning for ultimate elevating or liftin'gfrom the pit, the mechanism being of such nature that regardless of in which direction its neck 'pointed, but provided a pin is horizontal, said pin will be emeiently handled for lifting from the pit.

Another object of the invention, therefore, 'is to provide, in mechanism of the character indicated, means for causing the pins to assume :a horizontal position for transportation from the pit.

.A further object of the invention is to provide means to obviate jamming of the pins.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means which insure that only one pin at :a time arrives at the point from which the pins are elevated from the pit.

Our invention also has for its obiects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, econominal of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more 'fullyappear in the course of th following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes :one embodi- 2 ment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustrationor example only.

In the drawings, designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional View through the pit of a bowling alley equipped with mechanism embodying this invention, the view being taken on the line I-I of Fig. '2;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

A conventional bowling alley comprises a pit 5 defined by side boards '6, a rear wall "'I and a front wall '8, an alley pin deck 9 upon which bowling pins are spotted, and gutters I0 flanking the sides of the pin deck 9. Also conventionally, the alley is provided with padded back board I I for receiving theimpact of the ball and such pins as may be propelled by the ball against it.

According to the mentioned application, the ball and pin handling mechanism includes 'a ball lift 12 which effects separation of the ball from the pins and lifts the former to a mechanism (not shown) for return to the bowler, and a conveyor I3 for raising pinsbrought to it to mechanism effective for replacingthe pins on the pin deck '9, synchronously with the sequence of the game.

The means for transporting pins in the pit to the conveyor I3 comprises, generally, transversely arranged spaced and downwardly sloping boards 14 forming a throat I5 therebetween, a hopper IS in which pins passing through the throat I5 are received, a pin tipping and centralizing roller I"! at the bottom of said hopper, a sloping conveyor I8 for'lifting pins from the bottom of the hopper, a tilted transverse conveyor IQ for receiving pins from the conveyor I8 to transport them to, the pin elevating conveyor I3, and a gate 20 which receives said pins'and from which the conveyor "I3 lifts them one at a time.

The conveyor I1, essentially, comprises spaced vertical sides '21 which are slotted at 22 for trans verse rods 23 extending between chains '24 and trained over sprockets 25 at both the top and bottom of the'conveyor. A drive shaft 25 connects the bottom sprockets and, 'by way of example, a motor 21 and a speed reducer '28 are provided for driving said shaft 26 and,-'consequently the chains 24. Each rod 23 carries a shelf 29 which is so curved that the shelves on the forward side of the conveyor are concave or trough-like and adapted to support a pin thereon. Thechains-are driven in a mannerto move the shelves on the forward side upwardly. Be-

tween the sides 2 I, the conveyor, at its lower porlike reference characters tion is provided with a transverse vertical wall 30 so positioned with respect to the mentioned shelves 29 as to prevent a pin from settling into or centering on its shelf, said wall 30 rather engaging the butt of a pin to keep it centered on the outer edge of the shelf. The wall 30 is offset rearward at 3| to allow a pin to center on its shelf after attaining some elevation from the pit.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that should a pin come to rest upon a shelf with both the butt and neck thereon, said pin will remain on the shelf and as it passes the offset in the wall 30, will settle centrally on the shelf. However, should only the butt rest on the shelf and the neck be outwardly tilted, said pin, being overbalanced, will fall from its shelf for subsequent proper elevation by the conveyor 13.

When pins and the ball which sweeps them from the alley fall into the pit, the boards [4 will guide them toward the throat l5 where they will encounter the ball and pin separating and ball elevating means [2. This means includes a pair of spaced rollers 32, one or both of which are constructed in the manner of a shade roller so as torotate during vertical movement of the means [2. Said rollers are transversely arranged and spaced apart sufficiently to allow pins to fall therebetween into the hopper I6 and yet support a ball thereon as shown. Such pins which may not immediately fall into the pit, will do so upon elevating of the means I2. Further, should a pin assume a transverse position across both rollers 32, said pin will be dislodged by the mentioned rotation of one or both rollers.

The hopper l6 includes a front sloping wall 33 and inwardly sloped side walls 34 which direct the pins to fall upon the roller l1 and the conveyor l8. The former comprises a continuously rotating roll 35 driven in a manner to tend to lift the pins resting thereon and provided with helical ribs 36 to engage the pins and seek to move them away from the side walls 34 and toward the center of the hopper. Thus, pins cannot become wedged or jammed against said side walls but are directed to positions where they can be engaged by the sloping conveyor l8.

The conveyor I8 comprises a belt 31 trained over transverse rolls 38 and driven so that its outer run travels upwardly and in a direction opposite to the rotation of the roller ll. Transverse cleats or ribs 39 are provided on the belt 31 sufficiently high to provide supports for the pins as shown but low enough not to catch against the base of a pin and thereby raise said pin in an undesired vertical position. It will be evident that the roller I! will lay the pins on their sides and that the conveyor IE will engage them in this position to lift them from the bottom of the pit.

The tilted conveyor l9 receives the pins from the conveyor [8 to transport them to the elevator conveyor l3 and more specifically to the gate or hopper 20 from which the conveyor [3 lifts them. The conveyor I8 comprises a belt 4| trained over pulleys 42 and mounted in a frame 43 supported on standards 44. A rear wall 45 is provided to engage pins moved by the conveyor l9 toward the gate 20. Those pins which are lifted by conveyor I8 in line with gate 20, will roll from conveyor I 9, because of its tilt or pitch, directly into said gate. Other pins will be deposited on conveyor l3, and transversely moved thereby to fall into gate 20. An end wall 45 limits this transverse movement of the pins.

The gate 20 comprises a sloping ledge or shelf 41 disposed between the sides 2| and a pair of pivoted vanes 48 arranged therebeneath and one on each side of the upwardly moving shelves 29. Said vanes 48 seek to fall toward each other to receive and hold a pin rolling from the ledge 41. The shelves 29, one at a time, pass upwardly to spread the vanes 48 and receive a pin thereon for the mentioned elevation by conveyor [3. After upward movement of one shelf 29, the vanes 48 fall toward each other to receive another pin for subsequent removal by the next succeeding shelf of the conveyor.

The means for driving the moving parts is conventionally shown as being driven from shaft 26 by a belt 48 trained over pulleys to drive a jack shaft 50. The latter shaft, through gearing 5|, drives the roller l1; through a belt 52, drives the conveyor I8, and through a belt 53 and bevel gearing 54, drives the conveyor I9.

While we have illustrated and described what we now regard as the preferred embodiment of our invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. We, therefore, do not wish to restrict ourselves to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail ourselves of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a bowling alley pit, a ball lift comprising a pair of spaced movable members having a throat therebetween through which pins may pass, means for directing pins and balls received from the alley toward said throat, means for moving said movable members for separating the pins from the ball whereby the former fall through said throat, a hopper for receiving the pins, means in the hopper for laying the pins on their sides, an elevating conveyor for raising the pins from the pit, and means for transporting the pins from said hopper to the elevating conveyor, said latter means comprising an upward- 'ly sloping conveyor for moving only horizontally disposed pins from the bottom of the hopper, and a transversely arranged conveyor for receiving pins from the sloping conveyor and moving them toward the elevating conveyor.

2. In a bowling alley pit, a ball lift comprising a spaced pair of substantially parallel rods having a throat therebetween through which pins may pass, means for directing the pins and ball toward said throat, means associated with the throat for separating the pins from the ball whereby the former fall through said throat, a hopper for receiving the pins, means in the hopper for laying the pins on their sides, said means comprising a rotating roller having helical ribs on the surface thereof, an elevating conveyor for raising the pins from the pit, and means for transporting the pins from said hopper to the elevating conveyor, said latter means comprising an upwardly sloping conveyor for moving only horizontally disposed pins from the bottom of the hopper, and a tilted transversely arranged conveyor for receiving pins from the sloping conveyor and moving them toward the elevating conveyor.

3. A bowling pin handling device comprising in combination, a hopper located in the pit of a bowling alley for collecting pins discharged from the alley and having downwardly sloping side walls and a downwardly sloping front wall having a bottom edge, a rotatable roller located beneath the hopper and having its axis of rotation located'approximately beneath the bottom edge of said front wall, said roller having oppositely directed helical ribs thereon for moving pins away from said side walls and toward the juncture of the ribs, and an upwardly inclined belt conveyor disposed between said side walls and opposite said front wall and having a lower pinengaging portion positioned adjacent said roller, said conveyor having spaced ribs extending at right angles to the run of said conveyor to cooperate with said roller in piokingup horizontally disposed pins.

GEORGE A. MONTOOTH. ALBERT M. BOWEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Wilson Nov. 8, Sourek May 27, Graham Oct. 18, McFarland Dec. 29, Fairohild Apr. 26, Gotthardt et a1. June 2, White Feb. 7, Cone May 30, Laurie Dec. 29, Bates 'Nov. 13, Schmidt Nov. 27, Anderson June 15, Murphy Sept/28,

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July 11, 

